by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
“My dad’s high school basketball career inspires me with my high school career,” said Gerika Kingbird. “I love to watch the 1997 MSHSL basketball tournament, Red Lake vs. Wabasso, in which my dad played a big role in making this one of the top games in the first 100 years of the tournaments history.”
Gerald Kingbird was a sophomore point guard for the Red Lake Warriors during this game. The team was the first all-native team to play in the Minnesota State Tournament.
With 1:15 left in regulation the Wabasso Rabbits were ahead by nine points. Gerald Kingbird scored 13 points in 57 seconds, including a three-pointer with 0:17.7 seconds left to tie the score at 105. Wabasso ended up winning 117-113 in OT.
Gerika Kingbird is a 5’7, senior point guard on the basketball team at Red Lake High School, MN. The team’s record is currently 10-8 with a six game winning streak. There are six games left before the Section 8A East tournament.
She is a member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, located in Northern Minnesota. Her father Gerald Kingbird Sr. and mother Kimberly Pemberton-Kingbird are also enrolled members of the Red Lake Band. The family lives in Redby, MN on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.
Gerika wears her dad’s high school number 21. Gerald, Jr. also wears number 21 as an eighth grader who plays junior varsity and varsity for the Warriors.
“My tribal core value is respect,” said Gerika. “Respect is such an important part of everyone’s life. Respect covers so many of our everyday values such as, treating others the way you want to be treated, honoring our elders, our values, and most importantly ourselves.”
“My parents have positively influenced me by encouraging me to do my best and making sure that I never gave up,” said Gerika. “They always had me involved in some kind of sport since I was younger. They are also very active with my sibling’s athletic activities. My dad has been my biggest role model when it comes to sports. He gives me very helpful pointers when he notices something I need help with.
“Gerika has so many qualities of a great leader on and off the court but what I love about her is she puts her education before anything,” said dad Gerald Kingbird. “Gerika is a three-sport athlete and for her to be at the top of her class is very impressive. Not only is she a great leader but a positive role model for her teammates. Gerika encourages her siblings to do their best in both sports and academics. Gerika is looking forward to attending college to study dentistry whether or not she gets a scholarship.”
Mom Kimberly Pemberton-Kingbird talked about her daughter Gerika leadership: “Gerika shows dedication and motivation on and off the court. Even as a young child I knew she had this natural athletic ability. She participated in the Lil’ Lady Warriors feeder program from kindergarten until fifth grade. She was also in gymnasts and dance while growing up. Off the court she’s motivated and dedicated to get her education. Currently she is top of her senior class with a GPA of 4.0. Gerika is very busy with her education and is eager to further it. She is currently taking PSEO classes at the Red Lake Nation College while being a full-time high school student. She has great attendance and never wants to fall behind. Gerika does extra-curricular activities such as National Honor Society and is in the school band.”
“Gerika comes from a very close-knit family. We do just about everything together. She is very active in sports all year-round. On the court she is a very humble leader and a good role model, especially to her younger siblings and cousins. Last January she became a part of the 1,000-point club while she was a junior in high school. Gerika is not sure where she wants to go to college yet, but she knows she wants to earn a college degree and hopes to play college ball also,” said Kimberly.
“My coach, Randy Holthusen, also positively influenced me as an athlete. Since 3rd grade, Randy and my dad would coach my teammates and I in basketball tournaments. Randy moved me up to Junior Varsity Basketball in 7th grade and I became a starter in 9th grade for Varsity. Randy is also my fast pitch softball coach. I have played with varsity since 8th grade mainly as a pitcher,” added Gerika.
Randy Holthusen, head girls’ basketball coach for the Red Lake Lady Warriors talked about one of his longtime stars: “She is a one of kind student and athlete! A student athlete like her doesn’t come along very often. She has grown into her leadership role as a student and as an athlete. I have been blessed to the coach of this young lady for years and she has the basketball skills and academic skills to go to college anywhere. She is that talented. She is a captain on the basketball court and a member of the national honor society with a 4.0 GPA. Gerika is an excellent role model, and even greater person. She possesses everything you want in a young lady striving to be great. It has been an honor and privilege to be around this young lady all these years. We are going to miss having her around. She is a senior this year at Red Lake. She has been to the state tournament twice in her career and looking for a third trip this year. I believe she will be one of the ones leading us there. She is respected by her peers, looked up to, and a great human being.”
“Gerika is cool, calm and collected on the court,” said Nolan Desjarlait, assistant varsity girls’ basketball coach and athletic director at Red Lake HS. “She excelled when we started the ‘lil Lady Warriors Basketball. She knew the basic fundamentals when it came to basketball. Known Gerika since she was a baby and watched her grow into the compassionate, strong hearted, resilient lady Warrior she is today.”
“I have participated in the Minnesota State High School League State Basketball tournament with the Red Lake Lady Warriors two out of the last three years,” said Gerika. “We were the first all Native American girls basketball team to participate in the MSHSL state girls’ basketball tournament in 2017. Exactly 20 years ago my father’s basketball team, the Red Lake Warriors, was the first all Native American boys team to participate in the MSHSL state boys basketball tournament in 1997.”
Gerika currently has over 1,500 career basketball points. Her 2019-20 stats are: 21 points per game, 5 steals per game, and 4 assists per game. She has lettered in basketball, volleyball, and softball since 8th grade. She was selected to play with Team Minnesota in 2017 at Toronto and also for the 2020 Team Minnesota basketball team in Nova Scotia for the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG).
“I’ve had the pleasure of watching this young lady since she was in our elementary programs, and have been coaching with her dad for the past decade,” said Chris Jourdain, Red Lake School’s and Reservation youth basketball director. “We entered their team in the Pacesetter Regional Tournament when she was in 5th grade and they won it on their first attempt, they eventually won it a couple times and advanced to the State tournament. The only years they didn’t win was when we moved them up a grade for 2 years, but they did advance to the MIT, which is for teams with one loss, wining it their 9th grade year. Freshman year they went to the Pacesetter Great Four State Tournament, which features the champions of the surrounding states of NS, SD, MN, and Iowa.”
“As a high school athlete, she has had a great career and was a part of the team that went to the State Tournament. I also had the pleasure of coaching her at some high level tournaments around the State, North Dakota, and at the 2017 NAIG in Toronto. They were lots of fun and played some phenomenal games against the best of the best from all across the continent,” added Chris.
“Gerika was always a hard worker on the court, whether in practice, at camps we held, and on the floor,” said Chris. “She could play defense and anticipate many steals, could handle the ball, has the ability to finish with either hand, and of course can hit from beyond the arc. I can tell she has really worked on her game, as a coach for 15 years I know this is a tough game to get really good at. She was also a player that a Coach likes to have on their team, she never complained or gave up, was coachable and gave her best effort on the court and displayed sportsmanship, win or lose.”
“I’m also proud of the fact that she is a model student in the classroom, as well as a 3 sport athlete, and is involved in other extra curricular activities. She comes from a great family and I look forward to watching her go on to the next level. She will be returning to the NAIG as 19U athlete,” added Chris.
Gerika addressed advice for other student athletes: “Focus on your education, to keep putting forth your best effort, and most of all have fun.”
Photo Credit: Michael Barrett and Kirby Photography
